Rationale
This assessment was purposefully planned to enhance, extend and transform learning. The e-Learning design was based on principles and pedagogy; which included higher order thinking, pedagogy that is problem-based and learner-centred by the learner. This assessment included a design rationale, which considered aspects of the teacher's pedagogy and how it is linked to a content area and how it will inform the development of a unit of work. This assessment was planned in a hypothetical setting, which included Geography a part of the national curriculum, making it a core subject within a school. Geography is a structured way of exploring, analysing and understanding the characteristics of the places that make up our world, using the concepts of place, space, environment, interconnection, sustainability, scale and change. It addresses scales from the personal to the global and time periods from a few years to thousands of years (ACARA, 2013 – accessed 19.9.13). This unit is planned around a year 8 class and this unit allows them to learn about maps – how to read them, including longitude and latitude, and how to draw maps. In order for the students to get a feel of the subject, I, the teacher have set them a Geography Challenge. This challenge asks the students to research a country, this includes researching the population, location on a world map, history, language, etc. At the end of the 3 weeks, the students will get the opportunity to present their findings to the class, the students can be creative with how they present this, it may include making a movie, a PowerPoint, Prezi, it is completely in the student's hands. As a pre-service teacher, I have seen the benefits of having ICT in the classroom, not only monitoring it, but experiencing the benefits of this. Research shows that there are many benefits of having ICT in the classroom; these include, having access to subject material any time, this can promote productive learning, as students are doing more work at home; access to remote learning resources, this ultimately means that teachers and students do not have to rely on printed learning material, having access to computers/iPads allows student to access the World Wide Web, gaining more knowledge; and involving technology in the everyday routine for students prepares them for the workplace, one of the most commonly cited reasons for using ICTs in the classroom has been to better prepare the current generation of students for a workplace where ICTs, particularly computers, the Internet and related technologies, are becoming more and more ubiquitous. Technological literacy, or the ability to use ICTs effectively and efficiently, is thus seen as representing a competitive edge in an increasingly globalising job market (Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty, 2011 – accessed 19.09.13). As research shows, ICT can have a positive effect on the classroom. This unit planned for the year 8 students includes the use of technology, not only the use of the internet to gain information for this task, but it also allows them to explore different programs to use for their presentation. |
Heading into the teaching industry, the use of ICT in the classroom will be included in my teaching pedagogy, it is important that students use technology to learn and it can have many benefits.
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a framework that identifies the knowledge teachers need to teach effectively with technology. The TPACK framework extends Shulman’s idea of Pedagogical Content Knowledge. At the heart of the TPACK framework, is the complex interplay of three primary forms of knowledge: Content (CK), Pedagogy (PK), and Technology (TK). The TPACK approach goes beyond seeing these three knowledge bases in isolation. TPACK also emphasises the new kinds of knowledge that lie at the intersections between them, representing four more knowledge bases teachers applicable to teaching with technology: Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), and the intersection of all three circles, Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Effective technology integration for pedagogy around specific subject matter requires developing sensitivity to the dynamic, transactional relationship between these components of knowledge situated in unique contexts. Individual teachers, grade-level, school-specific factors, demographics, culture, and other factors ensure that every situation is unique, and no single combination of content, technology, and pedagogy will apply for every teacher, every course, or every view of teaching (Dr. Matthew J. Koehler, 2013 – accessed 19.09.13). Although the use of this technology will have to be monitored, using the skill of scanning will enable me to see what the students are accessing and if they are on or off task. As a part of this teaching pedagogy, independent work will be favoured, it is important that students learn how to work productively individually, this skill will become helpful when it comes to completing assessment tasks on time and to the best of their ability. References
ACARA. 2013. Geography - Rationale. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/Geography/Rationale. [Accessed 19 September 13]. WebsiteTPACK. 2013. What is TPACK?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.tpck.org/. [Accessed 19 September 13]. Rashmi Ranjan Mohanty. 2011. ICT Advantages & Disadvantages. [ONLINE] Available at: http://ict-adv-disadv.blogspot.com.au/. [Accessed 19 September 13]. |